Outside the four hundredth room on the second floor.
Yára tells the two girls to hide themselves well and to ensure the door stays locked until she returns. And only open the door to her calling their full names and height.
'Zaria, what the hell are you doing sending me a message to move to the second floor of the left wing. I was about eating.' She says frowning.
The explosive sound waves echoed three more times, causing Yára to stop at the Stad staff room, located in-between the two wings of the second floor.
Flashing her Hunter's Trainee badge to the Stad attendants within the room, they let her change in.
Walking out of the room with a three feet tall yellow box that looks like a cleaning machine, with mops and brooms attached to both ends of the front. Was a lady dressed in a red short sleeve and a black skirt.
Pushing the cleaning machine from the staff room down through the hallway of the left wing of the Stad, she comes to a halt in front of the room the female Venators were in with Amara.
Within the yellow box was Yára, sited in a criss-cross position as she bit on her left thumb.
'What the hell am I doing. Zaria you... Ah, I can't even insult you. Why the hell will one of your kids get kidnapped all of a sudden. I did tell the staff to take me to room 3E. Your sound codes are never wrong. But I'm hoping it is this time.' Yára thought to herself while her facial expression screamed, "ANGRY WOMAN IN TOWN."
She began tapping the bottom of the box gently, sending vibrations through the ground and into the room, performing each tap at a two second interval.
The vibration created by her tapping, formed a solid image of the room and the people within it, using the sound of their breathing, footsteps and heartbeat in her mind.
"Shit, he's not lying. And a girl? Why are women kidnapping a girl? Zairia you got a lot of explaining to do when we meet."
"CLICK."
The door lock sounded after the waitress had spoken.
Immediately, Yára came out of the box wearing a similar uniform as Zaria, but with four gold buttons on it. Indicating she had perfected most of their final year training than he has.
She pulls the Stad staff who was roughly the same height as her into the box, and pushes it away, in the direction of where they originally came from as the door opened up.
"Actually, there's nothing like that." She said to the Ogun specialist with a smirk, while fitting her Hunter's hat in place.
***
Two years ago in a mountainous region within Ichrak.
"BOOM."
"DOOM."
"BOOM."
"KA-BOOM!"
Lightning erupted from the ground into the sky as the mountain that was being hit shattered to fine dust at his feet.
Sweating profusely and breathing heavily with burn scars and blood on his right fist and arm, reaching up to his biceps was Zaria.
With tiny sparks of lightning still dancing around his body, "I need to get stronger." He says out loud, closing his eyes as he looks away from his damaged arm.
"CLACK."
The sound of a stone falling behind him, springs him up into a fighting stance within the dust from the shattered mountain.
"Who's there?" He asked with a death glare in the direction of the stone.
Tapping on his left shoulder and then raising both arms, was a bald man with a full goatee. "It's me Zaira, lower your killing intent, before you stir up the Zohaks in the area.
Releasing his stance and calming his breath, he turns around with his head held high and his burnt right arm to his head, he salutes.
"Good day Chief. Sorry to face my killing intent at you." He says as he takes a bow.
"At ease, Son. It's okay. Also, your hand is burnt again. Zaria how many times have I told you to slow down on the training?" Chief Tas asks with concern on his face as he pulls out Zaria's hand from his back and examines it. "This isn't good, boy."
Zaria pulls his arm back and turns away from the Chief. He picks up his bag next to where he originally was when he blew up the mountain.
"Sir. I know my body isn't there yet to be performing the lightning step, and it probably won't be even in a year time, but I don't have that time to waste and waite till my body is strong enough for it." He says as he stands up and walks away from the mountain.
Chief Tas looks at him and shakes his head. "Zaria."
"Yes Sir." He replied as he stood at attention.
"At ease son, I already said that earlier. It's just the two of us, no need to be formal. I'm like a father to you at this point." Chief Tas said as he walked towards him and patted his head. "Well, I'm sure you already understand everything in the Sound Steps, right?"
"Yes." Zaria replied with an eyebrow raised, wanting to understand why he was asked such a question, when the Chief could clearly see that he was trying to perfect the lightning steps before his body was even fit for it.
"Alright, good. Come with me." Tas said as he jumped into the air and started walking on it.
Zaria followed behind him, walking on the air using the Sound Step continuously and the two landed on another mountain of roughly the same size as the one Zaria had destroyed.
The ground began shaking vigorously and the mountain Zaria destroyed earlier began to regrow from the ground up slowly.
"See that. Isn't that a sight to behold. The Spiked roots of Ichrak. One of the things the Great Drop brought to our land. Ever growing mountains that respawn after getting destroyed. Perfect for training hunters." Chief Yas said with a broad smile on his face.
Clearing his throat he sat down. "Sit Zaria. I know you are cheating your growth by using your bloodline powers just like that mountain, in order to speed up your body's durability."
He stops and looks at Zaria who was still standing and looking at the mountain grow like a seedling.
'Well, he'll eventually sit. I bet the sparks of lightning are still shocking his leg. Trying not to show weakness in my face. How brave.' Tas thought to himself as he turned and looked into the sky.
"Just like that mountain you destroyed Z. So also will your body destroy if you keep doing this. Yes I know you have your bloodline to help you. But what if it fails huh. Considering the story you told me about your past." He added as he watched Zaria finally sit down.
"Chief Tas?"
"Here we go again with the formalities. Just talk to me freely, son." Tas said laughing slightly.
"I could never do that to me saviour." Zaria replied.
"It's... Ah whatever, do what you want. So what is it?"
"I know I've told you about my people before. And I'm sure you understand, but I'm losing time everyday and they suffer more the longer I spend without going to save them." Zaria says as he looks at the ants marching in fromt of them.
He taps his fingers on the floor, sending a quick vibration through it to the ants, altering the movement and making them turn away from where they sat.
"I just can't let them suffer while I'm here. I was once a slave like them. Forced to work and make medice daily from the age of five. All the old folks acted like it was normal. Until the day a chance to escape came." He says turning towards Tas.
"I was lucky, Sir. I watched many of my friends die for a few of us to escape back home. And in that time we were found by you all by chance that you had just killed a nightmare where we landed."
"It wasn't really that big a deal. Our jobs as Hunters isn't only to kill nightmares, but to save and protect the people of Ichrak first. And you guys were hundred percent Ichrakians. I was just doing my duty." Tas replied with another broad smile, trying his hardest to infect Zaria with his smile.
'Tch. Getting a smile out of him is too hard.'
"I'm indeed grateful, Sir. But my duty is to save my people left in that land from their oppressors. And I won't rest until I fulfill that duty." Zaria replied, turning his gaze towards the rising mountain.
Looking into the sky, he stands up and walks to the edge of the mountain, close to where the ants were now passing. Tas points towards the mountain.
"Zaria. That mountain you destroyed, do you know its size?" He asks with his right index still aimed at it.
"Roughly twenty thousand miles in height sir. And seven thousand in width. Is there a reason for asking this Sir? My Echolocation is still good though." Zaria replied.
"Hmm, good good. And every mountain around here including the one we're on is roughly the same size. Zaria, listen closely. The hearts of man, though it may look as small as a fist or two, are actually much bigger than all these mountains put together."
He takes a step off the mountain, and sparks of lightning appear underneath his feet, walking on them he continues speaking.
"My point is. The people who stayed behind, and those who sacrificed themselves to see the few amongst your people escape from that land eleven years ago. Do you think they want you to come back there and die trying to save them or to live your life to the fullest out here for all of them?"
Silence fell on the mountain Zaria sat, and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the earth shifting and cracking as the destroyed mountain kept on growing.
"Spend time thinking about that Z-Boy. The day you can answer that question truthfully is the day your body will be truly fit for the lightning step without using your bloodline. Then and only then will you be able to pull out its true power and speed."
And with multiple blue and white sparks surrounding him and the loud crashing sound of thunder, Chief Tas disappeared from the area leaving all the mountains surrounding the one they were on completely flattened.
***
'Chief. I am face to face with the oppressor of my people. I have tried my best to be more cheerful and live for them. But it seems like they have chosen the path of destruction. And so will I.'
Spreading both of his legs out and taking a stance similar to that of a sumo wrestler, Zaria closed his eyes.
His hair that was originally turning white returned back to its black colour.
"You. You're an Egwu. I've seen that changing hair colour before. Were you one of the escapees? Who would have thought. Hahaha. Guess we lucked out today. Two Egwus. The Chief will be proud." The large man said as he took his earlier stance, but this time he poured out all of his Ogun into forming a shield.
"No matter what you plan on doing next. Nothing is stronger than Ogun."
Lightning sparks formed outside the glass of the Stad and within the long hall, slowly but gradually the sound of thunder began echoing.
Yára who was on the floor below looked up with the hole in her arm. "Haha. Guess the Saber Cat has now become a Tiger... Well ladies. I think I shouldn't hold back anymore. The last of Class 558 just became a full-fledged hunter."
Taking the same stance as Zaria she smiles.
The two ladies rushed towards her.
At the same moment Yára and Zaria opened their eyes and in less than a second, with everything around them frozen in place.
"KA-BOOM."
LIGHTNING STRUCK.